Vikings officially eliminated, will miss playoffs for 4th time in 6 seasons

Minnesota’s playoff hopes are dashed as Chicago’s win over Cleveland officially knocks the Vikings out, leaving the focus on where they'll pick in the 2026 draft.

Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings have been eliminated from the playoffs, marking the fourth time in the last six seasons that they've failed to reach the postseason tournament.

Minnesota was officially eliminated when the Chicago Bears crushed the Cleveland Browns during the early window on Sunday. The Bears dominated the Browns in a 31-3 victory at freezing-cold Soldier Field, improving to 10-4 and making it impossible for the Vikings to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.

The Vikings were already eliminated from contention in the NFC North before Week 15 began.

There's still a scenario where the Vikings, Lions, and 49ers all finish 9-8, but Minnesota would lose the tiebreaker to the 49ers. The Vikings would own the tiebreaker over Detroit in that scenario, but they cannot win a tie with San Francisco.

Being eliminated means the best outcome for the future of the Vikings is to lose the final four games and secure the highest draft pick possible. At 5-9 overall, a 5-12 season is realistic. The Vikings play the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday night, visit the two-win Giants next week, and then close the season at home against the Packers and Lions.

Most of the teams currently slotted to pick ahead of the Vikings in the 2026 draft lost in the early window on Sunday. The Giants (2-12), Raiders (2-12), Cardinals (3-11), Browns (3-11), and Bengals (4-10) all lost, while the Commanders (4-11) beat the Giants.

Below is a look at the latest draft order, pending the results of games involving the Titans (2-11) and Saints (3-10) on Sunday afternoon. As you can see, the Vikings are currently 11th, with a loss moving them up to No. 10 (Atlanta beat Minnesota head-to-head in Week 2).

1. NY Giants: 2-12
2. Las Vegas: 2-12
3. Tennessee: 2-11
4. Cleveland: 3-11
5. NY Jets 3-11
6. Arizona: 3-11
7. New Orleans: 3-10
8. Washington: 4-10
9. Cincinnati: 4-10
10. Atlanta (LAR): 5-9
11. Minnesota: 5-8